ACAAI's Not Guilty

In the latest round of the battle over the Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS), Tirthankar Ghosh reports that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed allegations levelled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) against the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) of unfair practices.

- Tirthankar Ghosh

In what can best be described as another interval in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) versus Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) battle, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently dismissed allegations of unfair business practices made against ACAAI and its office bearers with regard to implementation of Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS). The complaint had been filed by IATA.

It had been alleged that ACAAI and its office bearers had colluded and were collectively boycotting business with those carriers that were keen to implement the web-based online billing and settlement system, CASS in India.

CCI noted that IATA “has failed to furnish any material that could prima facie suggest an agreement" amongst the opposite parties, CCI said in its order, dated September 12, that no prima facie case of contravention of the provisions of Section 3 of the Act was made out against ACAAI and its office bearers.

CCI noted that IATA has itself admitted that there was an overwhelming response from member agents of ACAAI in support of introduction of CASS and various cargo agents came forward voluntarily to get their enrolment done for the training programme. In fact, IATA had also mentioned that after the introduction of CASS on June 1, 2015, there had been a phenomenal increase in the number of participating cargo agents with more airlines and agents actively participating in CASS of their own volition, CCI said."It is also an admitted fact that 14 airlines and more than 416 agents have received training to work on the CASS programme. All these indicate that there is no collective boycott on the part of member agents of ACAAI and the member agents are taking independent commercial decision to participate/not to participate in the CASS programme," the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said.